~Crossing the Indus to the East~
Having stayed there till the third month of winter, Fâ-hien and the two
others, proceeding southwards, crossed the Little Snowy mountains. On
them the snow lies accumulated both winter and summer. On the north side
of the mountains, in the shade, they suddenly encountered a cold wind
which made them shiver and become unable to speak. Hwuy-king could not
go any farther. A white froth came from his mouth, and he said to
Fâ-hien, "I cannot live any longer. Do you immediately go away, that we
do not all die here"; and with these words he died. Fâ-hien stroked the
corpse, and cried out piteously, "Our original plan has failed; it is
fate. What can we do?" He then again exerted himself, and they succeeded
in crossing to the south of the range, and arrived in the kingdom of
Lo-e, [1] where there were nearly three thousand monks, students of both
the mahâyâna and hînayâna. Here they stayed for the summer retreat, [2]
and when that was over, they went on to the south, and ten days' journey
brought them to the kingdom of Poh-nâ, where there are also more than
three thousand monks, all students of the hînayâna. Proceeding from this
place for three days, they again crossed the Indus, where the country on
each side was low and level.
[Footnote 1: Lo-e, or Rohi, or Afghanistan; only a portion of it can be
intended.]
[Footnote 2: We are now therefore in A.D. 404.]